Several years ago in the aircraft industry, to avoid the many problems associated with recirculating coolants used during metal forming operations, a lubricant was developed for direct application to a cutting tool, just before the cutting portions thereof were commencing their cutting functions, to eliminate most of the friction. Consequently, little heat was generated, and therefore no recirculating coolants were required. This lubricant is derived from a vegetable base making the lubricant an ecologically clean product, non-toxic, non-allergenic, and non-polluting.
Applicators were developed to deliver this lubricant to the cutting tools. Some of such applicators are illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,668. The "Accu-Lube" division of Lubricating Systems, Inc. supplies such lubricants and applicators. In some embodiments of these applicators the person operating the forming machinery selects the respective settings for an air supply and a lubricant supply. These respective supplies are separately directed to the locale where a cutting tool, for example, is about to begin forming a workpiece into a metal product, or a portion thereof. The lubricant is supplied in intermittent pulsed portions If the compressed air supply is increased, the lubricant supply is independently increased, and vice versa.
Although these applicators are being used very effectively, they are considered to be relatively expensive. Moreover, the independent adjustments of both the pressurized air supply and pumped lubricating oil supply generally must be made at or on these applicators, where they are mounted, rather than being able to make such adjustments at the location of the tool, where the forming cut is being made. Also, because the lubricating oil is delivered via pulsed pumping operations, there are brief time periods, when an insufficient quantity of lubricating oil is available to keep the friction level down low enough to avoid a temporary unwanted period of a buildup of heat, where the metal forming operation is being undertaken.